Noted multicultural education researcher to speak at third annual event

ATHENS, Ohio -- Carl A. Grant, Ph.D., a prolific author and active researcher on multicultural education, will give the keynote address at the third annual Education Lecture Series from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Longaberger Golf Club in Nashport, Ohio. Grant will discuss "Why Is There an Achievement Gap between African-American and European-American Students: If We Knew, Would We Do Anything about It?"

Grant is a professor of teacher education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and a professor in the Department of Afro-American Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has written or co-written 20 books, including "Bringing Teaching to Life, After the School Bell Rings" (with Christine Sleeter), which was chosen by the American Educational Studies Association Critics Choice Selection Panel in 1987 as one of the most outstanding books in the area of educational studies.

Grant also has authored or co-authored more than 125 articles, book chapters and reviews. His professional writings have appeared in such publications as the Journal of Teacher Education, Educational Leadership, Journal of Educational Research and Harvard Educational Review. His article "Race, Class, and Gender and Abandoned Dreams," written with Sleeter and published by Teachers College Record, was named one of the three top articles by Educational Press Association of America for 1988. In addition, Grant has served as guest editor on articles appearing in The Journal of Negro Education, Journal of Research and Development in Education and The Kappan.

A former Fulbright scholar, Grant was named one of the top leaders in teacher education by the Association of Teacher Educators in 1990. He has received the Distinguished Scholar Award from the American Educational Research Association, and in 1997, the University of Wisconsin-Madison gave him the School of Education Distinguished Achievement Award. From 1993 to 1999, he served as president of the National Association for Multicultural Education and from 1996 to 1999, he was editor of the journal Review of Educational Research.

This year, Park National Corporation affiliate Century National Bank joins the Ohio University College of Education in sponsoring the Education Lecture Series. The aim of the lecture series is to address significant educational issues in support of a national dialogue by focusing on such fundamental educational challenges as funding, curriculum, governance, testing, competency and discipline. The Education Lecture Series brings together educators, parents, policy-makers, government officials, and members of social agencies, the business community and the media in a forum that promotes a frank discussion and meaningful exchange of ideas as they relate to education.

"Despite decades of attention, gaps in the achievement of minority students remain one of the most pressing problems in education," said James L. Heap, dean of the Ohio University College of Education. "With generous support of the Park National Corporation and Century National Bank, the lecture series continues to provide an opportunity for stakeholders in education to address issues in Ohio within the context of significant research, national trends and policy initiative."

A question-and-answer session will follow the keynote address. For more information on the Education Lecture Series, contact the College of Education at (740) 593-4405.

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Media Contact: Joy Rodgers, (740) 597-1947

Note to Editors: Grant will be available for brief interviews before the lecture at Longaberger Golf Club from 6 to 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 30. Phone interviews may be possible earlier in the day on Oct. 30. Contact Joy Rodgers at (740) 597-1947 or rodgerj1@ohio.edu to arrange an interview.